BOUNDARIES IN IRELAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 179, 30 July 1924, Page 5

BOUNDARIES IN IRELAND.

A BENCH OF JUDGES. LONDON.. July 22. Lord Dunedin and Lord Blanesburgh, Sir Lawrence Jenkins (Chief Justice of the High Court of Bengal from 1009 to 1915), Mr. Justice Duff (Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada), and Sir Adrian Knox (Chief Justice of Australia) sat to-day in the Privy Council Court to hear a reference to determine the following questions arising from the refusal of the Northern Ireland Government to appoint a member to the Irish Boundary Commission: — Can the commission be set up or competent? Can the Crown instruct the GovernorGeneral of Northern Ireland to appoint a commissioner, or can the Crown make the appointment? If not, is there any constitutional way of setting up the commission ? Sir Patrick Hastings, K.C., appearing for the Crown, added the questions: — If the commission is constituted of two persons and they disagree, will the chairman have the casting vote? If it coneists of three will the vote of the majority prevail? Many American lawyers visiting England with the Bar Association were present. On the failure of the London Conference between representatives of the Irish Free State, Northern Ireland and the British Government, the Government decided to form a commission to settle the boundary between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State. At the same time it was decided to form a judicial committee to advise the British Government on its legal and constitutional powers to form such a commission. For this purpose -the aid of the Dominion judges was secured, Sir Adrian Knox, Chief Justice of Australia, representing the Commonwealth.